Sonam Wangchuk, aged 59, has conducted a hunger strike with reported weight loss of 9.1 kg over 19 days while joined by the Cockroach Janta Party in calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Congress extended support via its Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign and met protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 17, 2026. Narendra Modi has held no unscripted press conferences in 12 years, drawing criticism from a journalists' association on July 16, 2026.